The Winery at Wolf Creek, a nearly 34-acre hospitality property overlooking the Barberton Reservoir in Norton, Ohio, has hit the market for $4.3 million. The listing includes a winery, tasting room, vineyard, private event center, distillery, speakeasy and an on-site residence, all built around a business that has operated for more than 40 years.
The property at 2637 South Cleveland Massillon Road is being marketed by The Masica Company, which describes the sale as a rare opportunity to acquire an established Northeast Ohio hospitality destination with multiple existing revenue streams, according to FOX 8 Cleveland WJW. Commercial listing data reviewed by LoopNet puts the property at 33.75 acres with more than 18,000 square feet of facility space.
From a 1980 Family Vineyard to a Multi-Business Estate
The winery traces back to 1980, when founder Andrew Wineberg planted it on his parents' property, land owned by Melvin and Harriet Wineberg, per FOX 8's report. The original 12 acres of vines included French hybrid and American grape varieties such as Cayuga White, Seyval, Vignoles, Dechaunac, Chancellor, Leon Millot and Vidal, with plantings split between a 10-acre site at the base of the hill and a 2-acre plot near the main building, according to a report from Only In Your State.
Per the Summit County auditor's website, the estate was transferred from Melvin Wineberg to an LLC in 2007, according to FOX 8's reporting. Andy Troutman, who began working as the property's vineyard manager in 1996, purchased the business with his wife, Deanna Troutman, in 2002, the station notes.
A Distillery Fire and a Rebuilt Event Space
Troutman expanded the business's craft beverage lineup by launching The Distillery at Wolf Creek in 2012, adding a distillery to the wine business, according to the Rotary Club of Canton. The distillery's tasting room is beneath the Great Room. In May 2017, a three-alarm explosion and fire in the basement distillery was contained to the distillery, according to WKYC. Roughly 95 percent of the spirits inventory was lost, but no public areas were damaged.
Owner's Roots Run Deep in Ohio Winemaking
Troutman's connection to Ohio viticulture predates his purchase of Wolf Creek. He separately established Troutman Vineyards and Winery in Wooster in 2001, an outgrowth of a multi-year grape-growing 4-H project he pursued as a boy, and he holds a degree in horticulture and food microbiology from Ohio State University, according to Ohio's Country Journal.
The Norton property has also functioned as a community gathering spot beyond its wine and spirits business. It hosts Yappy Hour Tuesdays, according to Only In Your State.
A Listing Backed by a Booming State Industry
The sale lands as Ohio's wine and grape industry generates $6.6 billion in annual economic output and supports more than 40,000 full-time jobs across more than 400 licensed wineries statewide, with the state ranking seventh nationally in overall wine production volume, per data cited by Brownfield Ag News.
Whether the Winery at Wolf Creek's next owner will be an institutional hospitality operator or another independent winemaker remains to be seen, as does any potential effect on Troutman's separate Wooster winery. For now, the listing stands as a snapshot of a property that has weathered fire, rebuilt its brand, and built a loyal local following over more than four decades on the hill above the Barberton Reservoir.
